Guitar Tablature: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”

The song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” dates all the way back to the 16th century, but it is just as timeless as ever. Learning how to play “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” on the guitar will give you a chance to practice and demonstrate both E-based and A-based barre guitar chord progressions. Although you can play it using only one barre chord, by combining both kinds of barre chords (E-based and A-based), you can play this Christmas song with much less left-hand movement.

Minimizing left-hand movement enables you to play both faster and more smoothly as well as to achieve better voice leading, or smoothness of motion between the individual notes of the changing chords. (Good voice leading produces a pleasing sound.)

What you need to play this merry English Christmas carol

To play “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” you need to know how to play E-based barre chords; how to play A-based barre chords; and how to play guitar dressed in a stuffy costume with a pillow strapped to your belly. Impress your family and friends this holiday season by learning the guitar chords and notes necessary to play this Christmas classis; view the full guitar tab that follows.

Power chords are well-suited to a heavier, distorted sound, and you can use them in place of full versions of chords because they usually contain the same bottom two or three notes. So if you’re feeling a bit rebellious, maybe a bit wicked, crank up your amp and play “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” with power chords, a distorted sound, and a really bad attitude.